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Southern Smothered Oxtails

7/13/16

Southern, soul food style smothered oxtails. Smothered in a homemade onion and garlic gravy, and slow cooked in the Crock Pot until they are falling off the bone tender!

There’s something about southern oxtails and gravy that just comforts my soul. No seriously! If I’m not feeling well, or If I had a bad day just the simple thought of oxtails and rice makes me feel better. My mom used to make oxtails all the time. Especially for Sunday’s supper. She’d serve the oxtails with her infamous southern style potato salad, mixed greens, and corn muffins. We’d tear up dinner like there was no tomorrow! The only thing that would be left on our plate would be the bones, and not string of meat! It was the best! It was, and still is one of my soul food dishes.

Over the years I’ve made smothered oxtails plenty of ways, but I finally found a recipe that I’m going to stick with. No more revising, no more adding ingredients, nor steps. I have finally have a to go to recipe for oxtails. This is definitely my favorite southern smothered oxtail recipe.

This recipe is super simple. Unlike a lot of other soul food style oxtails, I don’t use a ton of ingredients. Also, I use very basic ingredients such as garlic, kosher salt, and onions to season up the oxtails & gravy. To make everything super easy, I use my slow cooker. This prevents me from standing in the kitchen all day. Everything about this recipe is golden!

Video

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Comments

This recipe looks so good and easy to make. I’m not sure my family would go for the oxtails….I would. Pinned. Will make this later on and see how the family takes to them. Thanks for a good crockpot dish.

Just made oxtails step by step. WOW! I finished everything except my lunch for tomorrow. Cannot stay awake. Love your recipe. Will be looking for more. If I had a Lady we’ll fall asleep together. Thank you very much.

This is another winner from your kitchen, Rosie! I followed your instructions step-by-step and the oxtails are currently cooking in my crock pot. My house smells amazing too. Your site is my go-to whenever I want to learn how to cook great tasting meals that remind me of home. I struggled in the kitchen before learning about your site. Now, I feel like a pro. Happy Easter!

My father has been asking for oxtails and I want to give this recipe a try. Most slow cookers say to cook for 8 hours on low, is it o.k. too cook the oxtails on high for 8 hours (as you can see, I am new to cooking :).

OMG I made these yesterday..my hubby called me from work to say he LOVED the gravy..it was my first time making them..my gravy on the stove was thick do I had to use more than 3 cups of water..did I do something wrong? I added more and it was perfect!! So easy and delicious! So glad I found it..thanks!

Yes a friend of mine slow cooks them in the oven, but I only trust myself with the crockpot. I am trying these I was looking for a simple recipe like my mom used to make. I have done the Jamaican style and Cuban styled both good but I wanted a simple southern style recipe, this will do it I’m sure. I will cook and provide update. I want to eat them with rice and Okra, tomatoes and corn.

Amazing!!!! I just finished this recipe waited the allotted time followed the recipe step by step . 8 hours felt like 8 years the aroma had me up all night! Would not change a thing but I have to double the portion folk came from miles around…lol…BEST EVER thank u

Miss Rosie, its a bout to go DOWN!.. i just divorced my second husband of 10 years and I wasn’t able to use my skills in the kitchen because “soul food” was a bit much and too flavorful for him.. he was the canned food type of guy.. I love getting in the kitchen and using some rich flavors.. I had these at a restaurant in Killeen texas last year and i fell in love with them.. now my fiancé loves soul food and grew up on it.. I am about to make oxtails for the first time.. I love that your ingredients are few and simple.. it is the PROCESS i find that makes food so good and rich.. Thank you for sharing and love your jokes.. No DOUBLE DIPPING! hahahaha.. Much love from Oklahoma

Mine are in the crockpot right now. I’ve never cooked oxtails before…nervous but excited at the same time! If they turn out tasting as good as yours look then my boyfriend is gonna act a fool! I’ll keep you posted. Off to your crab pot macaroni recipe now!

OMG Rosie! I made this for dinner tonight along with your baked candied yams. Both were beyond delicious – definitely the best food I have made in a while! Thank you for both recipes! Can’t wait to try more of your dishes!

OMG. MY OXTAILS WETE SOOOO GOOD. MY BOYFRIEND MOM WANTED THE RECEIPE. ( DIDNt GIVE)HE SAID IT WAD BETTER THAN HERS. IM NOT A COOK. BUT ROSIE YOU ARE TURNING ME ITO ONE. I MADE YOUR MAC AND CHEES AND CALOO. MAJOR HIT. SHOULD HAVE DOUBLED THE RECEIPE. THEY CAN EAT SUCKING THE BONES AND EVERYTHING LOL. I BARLEY GOT ANY MYSELF.

I have made oxtails using your reciepe twice and the oxtails themselves came out perfect, the flavor is there and on both occasions the oxtails were tender but for some reason about half way through the cooking process I realize my gravy is no longer thick and it just looks really oily. The second time around I did change the gravy and use less oil but I still had the same result, what am I doing wrong?????

Rosie, one thing some people might be doing wrong is adding the liquid too fast to the flour. After moving to Cajun country, I learned that when making a roux, you have to slowly add your liquid to the flour when making a roux or it will separate later on in the cooking process. You did say to add it slowly in step number 11 but some might have overlooked that. Fabulous recipe!

My boyfriend raises our beef. He has talked about oxtail for the 7 years we’ve. Been together. Can’t. Wait to surprise him with this for supper. I have it in our pressure cooked. Already smells great!!

I am so happy that I found this site. I have an aunt that makes the best oxtails I have ever had she does this and I come running, I swear I can smell them all the way in Boston and she lives in Florida. She hasn’t sent me the recipe well today I found you and your recipe is the only one I have found that even comes close to her recipe. My entire family was pretty shocked that I came so close to her recipe I only missed on significant flavor other than that it is almost exactly the same. I am so so happy. I LOVE THIS RECIPE. Thank you so much for doing this blog. I will become an avid follower.

I have been dying to try Ox Tails! Thank you Rosie for such an easy recipe and so mouth watering. I will be trying them within the next week and if I remember, I will post to you how they turned out. Again thanks 🙂

Hi Rosie! I made these this weekend and they are to die for. I didn’t tell anyone what they were until all the compliments started then I let them know. Guess what………..requests to have this dinner more often. Again thanks for such a great easy recipe!

Hi Rosie!
I’ve made your recipe twice now. The first time they were absolutely amazing.However the second time, the gravy was still comparable to peanut butter. It ended up tasting like flour.
Now on my third attempt, I feel defeated, because the gravy is still too think, literally resembling play-doh.
What should I do to fix it? I’ve already browned 5 lbs of oxtails.
Thanks

Hi Rosie, I’m cooking this now according to your instruction. I added Jamaican allspice with a bit a thyme also and a bit of curry powder. From the taste of the gravy, it’s going to be delicious i know! I will report back with my results. Thanks!

Hi Rosie, I want to make this dish using 1 lb of oxtail. Should I use the same measurements as listed? I’ve been following you for about 2 months now and every dish I’ve prepared to scrumptious! Thank you so much. 🙂

Hello! Im excited to try your recipe. However i noticed in your video that after the salt and peper it looks like you added a dried herb, basil perhaps? I didnt see it in the recipe ingredient list, can you tell me what that was and how much of it you put in? Thank you!

Thank you so much! Parsley was my second guess!
I made Thai tonight and I got turned out great. I know you are officially done tweeking this recipe but I wanted to let to you know I added some creole seasoning to the gravy for a little kick and it was tasty!!
We had quite a bit of gravy left over so I tossed in the the freezer to use on some mashed potatoes in another meal. Thanks again! Thai recipe Is a keeper 🙂

Hi Rosie. I LOVE oxtails, but had never learned to cook them. I searched for a recipe and found your recipe. It looked delicious and sounded simple enough. I went for it this morning before church. And baby when I tell you that Sunday dinner was EVERYTHING!! They are tall off the bone, melt in your mouth good. Thank you. I am now subscribed to your blog. I this is a 5 star recipe. It won’t let me give it a 5.

Miss Rosie! Ma’am you have scored big time!! I love ox tails and this recipe struck my heart cords of my grandmothers Texas home cooking. Melt in the mouth meat and the gravy was fantastic. I served them over Konriko Wild Pecan Brown Rice…WOW! Keep the recipes coming!

Hello I tried many of your recipes but the but this is my first time given I’ve never eaten oxtailss before however I’m a sucker for anything smotheredwill report back once they’re done no doubt in my mind or belly they’ll be delicious thanks for all your great recipes I’m sooo glad I found your site it’s my go for all recipes now✨

I made your southern smothered oxtails yesterday for Sunday dinner. It was the best oxtails I have ever eaten. Dear Lord it was so good! Thank you for sharing this recipe! I really mean it. We do a lot of cooking and we eat well! We know an outstanding dish when we taste it. I modified it only in the fact that I did not use a slow cooker. I prepared the whole dish in an enameled cast iron pot. After browning the oxtails, I deglazed the pot with meade and some beef stock. Then made the gravy, added the oxtails back to the pot with the thickly slice onion and crushed garlic, covered the meat with stock and into the oven for 3.5 hours. It was heaven in my mouth, I cannot stop thinking about it and can’t wait to polish off the leftovers this evening! Thank you Rosie and God Bless you and yours!
Lovin’ Rosie’s Southern Smothered oxtails in Edmonton, AB Canada!!
Thanks Again!

Bought 5 lbs of oxtails So I just doubled all the ingredients. Came out flavorful and tender! Just perfect. I served it with some basmati rice, chicken lard greens and biscuits for sipping up all that yummy gravy AND I have enough leftovers for lunch and dinner tomorrow
Definitely adding this recipe to my regular rotation. Thanks ♥️

I made this. Very good recipe . This is a do over for sure. I Had to make it gluten-feee so I used
King Aurthers all purpose GF flour. The only thing I would suggest if using gluten free flour is to use half the amount as it thickens more than normal flour. Thank-You for a great recipe. A new favorite for my family .

I have never had oxtails before, but have been curious. I love to try new foods! These are in the crockpot right now, so the fiancee and I will be trying oxtail for the first time together tonight. I added mushrooms and used both red and yellow onion. I can’t wait to dig in! I’ll update and let you know if we both liked it.

Oxtail! I haven’t had that in years, since my granny passed. I will try this recipe. It looks just as yummy as granny’s. Don’t let the name hold you back. Call it Queue de Vache (French for cow tail). Thanks! Wonderful true Southern recipes.

I tried this recipe today and it was fantastic. My hubby thanks you because without this recipe I would have never tried them. I trust your site because every recipe I’ve tried comes out just as you say it will. Thank you and when you publish that cookbook I’ll be one of the first in line to snag a copy. Thanks again for your delicious recipes.

Hi Rosie, while mixing, my gravy became too thick and wouldnt mix well with the broth. What did I do wrong? I ended up just mixing the broth, onions, and garlic and pouring over the oxtail will it still cook the same? Thank you.

Hi Rosie , my nickname is Rosie , sweet. Well first of all this recipe looks deeeelish i love oxtails . I make oxtail soup , my family loves it. Now i dont have a crockpot can i make this recipe on the stove or oven i really want to make this ??

Rosie,
I really want to try this recipe. I work about 9 hours a day. I will be making 5lbs. Can you let me know if i have to home while these are cooking or can I just throw everything in the crockpot and go to work? Thanks!

Rosie! You got people thinking I have an old soul with this recipe.! Its lie a special event when I make your tails. Ive made it 3 or 4 times and turned out great every time. I marinade for a few hours the tails in the Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper before browning on all sides. At 8 hours I pour off almost all the greasy sediment and replace with beef broth and let cook for another 4 hours. Also Ive been using bell pepper, onion, garlic at the gravy time and add tomatoes fresh or canned to the last 4 hours. For heat I add cajun seasoning or red pepper flakes. Yall read and make your gravy per recipe and you cant go wrong. The gravy is the truth! Remember cutting too many corners will mess up this recipe.

In missing all of my family that has died off from Mississippi, I reached for this recipe was just what I needed to ground me for a SOULFUL weekend as at work I am EATING everyone else’s culture but my own (yes! I said it). Bless you Rosie
Patrice

Just followed your recipe and wow…this was my first time making oxtails. My wife’s loves them but I’ve never been a fan, but I tried them anyways. They came out perfect. I added 4 tablespoons of Walkerswood hot jerk seasoning and the taste was spectacular. Thanks!

Okay Rosie, the oxtails are in the slow cooker.
Can’t wait to see how they turn out.
I’ll contact you when there done. It looked so delicious I had to try it.
I’ll reply back and let you know how they were!

Rosie girl let me tell you. You must have been in my head. I literally woke up this morning dreaming and telling myself over and over and over that I needed to make oxtails with gravy in the slow cooker. Mind you I’ve never in my entire life ever had oxtails. Nobody in my family has ever made them so I’ve no idea where that thought came from. Be that as it may, I got up, went looking for some oxtails, then sat online to find a recipe. Low and behold you pop up with the exact recipe for what I was craving. Thank you girl for answering that craving call. I can’t wait to sink my teeth into these oxtails after church for Sunday dinner.

In the process of making now and it looks amazing. This is my first time making oxtails and of course I messed up and sauteed the onions and garlic with some oregano before making gravy but it turned out ok and it smells wonderful. Thanks so much for this recipe!!

I made these a couple months ago for my husband because he really wanted some oxtails-I do not care for oxtails but wanted to make a good southern food dinner for him and I came across this recipe. I also had all the ingredients so it was time. I am NOT a good cook but I can cook enough to keep my family living-HA! The instructions were very simple but I did have an issue with the way the gravy came out and I can tell you it did NOT look like yours Rosie! Mine was more lighter in color and really thick, not sure if I cooked long enough or should have added more liquids. Even with my lack of cooking skills, even I knew something was up but I kept on with the recipe. I was hoping it would change after cooking but no it did not. I felt bad when I had to explain to my husband that I messed up his oxtails. He said he did not care and was going to eat them. He literally ate every bit of the oxtail with the exception of the bone!! I wish I took pictures but I dare not show Rosie what I did to her recipe…He loved them and I told him I would try again. So recipe 5 stars just not my cooking skills!!

Recipe looks yummy and super easy!! I just bought some fresh oxtails and am making this for my dinner tomorrow night. I can’t wait to taste it. Also I am going to have the collards and cabbage mix that you have a recipe for as my sides. So actually doing 2 of your recipes.
I know dinner is going to be Awesome tomorrow night!!

Hello Rosie! I found your site a few years ago. I have always made the Jamaican oxtails, but decided I wanted a more soulful and southern flavored oxtail for Thanksgiving! I am soooo glad to have found your version! THESE WERE THE BEST SLOW COOKER OXTAILS I HAVE HAD IN A LONNNNNNG TIME! These were so flavorful..the right amount of ERRRTHANG! I froze some, and reheated them just today..THEY TASTED AS IF I HAD JUST MADE THEM! You go girl! You knocked this one outta the park! I just found your Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding recipe..gonna try if for my Christmas dessert table! Again, thank you for sharing this AWESOME recipe!! Peace and a whole lotta blessings!

I made this recipe tonight for dinner and I couldn’t wait to comment on it!!!So while I’m eating ,I’m commenting. It’s very delicious, the gravy is rich and so so yummy! I made mashed potatoes to accompany the oxtail and Brussels sprouts with bacon , red onion, and balsamic vinegar. Thank you for posting such a deliciuos and easy recipe

I have been looking at your website for a couple of hours and have bookmarked many of them to try. I saw this recipe and realized I tried it for the first time a little over a year ago. It is wonderful! Can’t wait to try more of them. Especially the fried chicken. If my day goes as planned tomorrow, I will be making the pork neck bones and also the honey bun cake. Thank you!!!!

Hi Rosie!
I recently found you on Pinterest while looking for an Oxtail recipe. I am a southern soul food girl and have been cooking for over 40 yrs. This was my first experience making oxtails with gravy and this recipe did not disappoint. I followed the recipe exactly and had to laugh at the gravy……we southern girl love a good gravy made with pan drippings and crumbs-lol. I am wondering if you have a recipe for Oxtail Soup? My best girlfriend made it with a tomato and beef broth base and vegetables that reminded me almost like what my grandmother made called Camp Stew (we are from south Alabama). Any help with this would be great. I subscribed to your email and can’t wait to try you other recipes.

I love this recipe made this for Easter, they came out very well. I had to add more beef broth while making the gravy, but that’s not an issue for me. I noticed a little bit of meat and gravy was stuck to the sides of my crockpot. Next time I will spray non-stick cooking spray on the sides and bottom before adding the ingredients. I also just bought some pink Himalayan salt I may try this time around instead of kosher and I have some badia complete seasoning not sure but we shall see.